Exodus 3:14, "...'This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” (NIV)


Have you ever pondered the meaning of God's Name, I AM? That is the first Name He introduced to us through the scriptures even before Yahweh (or Jehovah). What does I AM really mean? Let us first look at it in Hebrew.

I AM is spelled הָיָה and pronounced Hayah. As you may know, Hebrew reads from right to left and each letter represents a picture. Here is the picture of God's Name I AM. The letter הָ is Hey, which is a picture of an open window. It represents God's Grace. The יָ is the letter Yod and is a picture of a hand. Put the pictures together and it shows I AM is a picture of Grace before a hand extended in Grace. Therefore, Grace surrounds God's hand! His Hand is immersed in Grace. Grace is what He puts His hands too. He is Grace!

With God there are no coincidences. Everything is carefully thought out and planned. Nothing is hap-hazardly thrown together. God purposefully sets everything in perfect alignment. That is how He knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb (Psalm 139). He carefully and wonderfully made you.

Since we are on the subject regarding the Hebrew language, here is another tidbit to know. This will really help you in understanding God's heart. The Biblical Hebrew language has been called the language of God because it is the language He spoke when He created all of creation, and the language Jesus spoke when walking on this earth.

Did you know that a Swiss scientist named Hans Jenny studied the wave phenomena of languages called cymatics? What he did was to speak in different languages through a tube called a tonoscope to see if the wavelength developed any patterns. At the end of the tonoscope was sand. All modern languages produced little results, but when he spoke Hebrew through the tonoscope, the sand took the shape of the Hebrew letter he was speaking!

Most interestingly, in the Biblical Hebrew language there is no future tense, only past and present tense. This means that when one speaks it, there is no reference to what will be, but only what was and what now is. That is why God's Name, I AM is not I WILL BE, but always present tense. This validates even more the following scripture in Psalm 46.

Psalm 46:1, "...God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (NIV)

It is always today with I AM.

The Young's Literal Translation is the most accurate translation of the Hebrew words in the Bible, but it is hard to read because all verses are either written in the past or present tense. There is no future tense. Therefore, when God has given a promise (or blessing), the promise already is or was in God's eyes. Is this perplexing? Let's let scripture interpret God's "line" of thinking. Keep in mind, God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). God wants us to see good things as if they have already happened, as if we already have them.

Mark 11:22-24, "²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Jesus told us in Mark 11:22-24 that we must believe we have it NOW in order to see with our eyes what we have asked for come to pass. Here is another scripture to confirm that.

Romans 4:17, "As it is written: "I have made you a father (Abraham) of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not." (NIV)

God told Abraham He had made him a father of many nations one year before Abraham had a son from Sarah. The above NIV translation shows it as present tense, but according to the Young's Literal Translation, the original Hebrew text is written in past tense.

Genesis 17:5, "and thy name is no more called Abram, but thy name hath been Abraham, for father of a multitude of nations have I made thee." (YLT)

Beloved, God has a reason for not speaking about His callings, promises or blessings in the future tense. The reason is not only because He is the God of today, I AM, but because if He did, then we would try and earn those blessings. We would still be trying to get from here to there. You see, when someone tells me I will be blessed, then I look for ways to earn those blessings. My thoughts are focused on if I only do this, or if I only do that then I am sure to obtain and keep His blessings over me. It's Jesus and me keeping things afloat. When the reality is, it's not about me at all. It's all about Jesus!

God in His infinite wisdom knowing that it is human nature to earn His blessings, He wanted us to know that we already have His promises and His blessings. Hence, the reason why He wrote to us in His original Hebrew language only in the past or present tense. We either have had them or we have them now. It is just like the fact that Jesus died for our sins 2,000+ years before we were born. Did you know that God saw Jesus crucified in the past tense before it happened, before the foundation of the world was created? The following scripture in the Book of Revelation confirms that.

Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (KJV)

Every blessing has already been provided to us by Jesus' finished work on the Cross. He is now sitting down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:3) and we are seated with Him in Heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). The work is done, finished. We only have to receive His gift. We already have His Grace and blessings and we don't have to earn any of it.

Isn't it more freeing to know you already have God's approval, acceptance, blessings and love than to live in fear that somehow you will not measure up or make it and; therefore, miss out on His blessings? That is one more aspect of His Grace!

God has already blessed you! Be blessed and walk in it.

Pastor Sandy